I will answer my own question as I asked it to also get other’s opinions.

The main reason that Tolkien fans hate Rings of Power is because it absolutely spits in the face of what Tolkien wrote. It basically takes the character names and writes bad fanfiction with it. Seriously, I’ve read fanfictions of LOTR that were crossovers with Marvel that were better than Rings of Power.

Now, the first two episodes were not terribly bad, but were not good. Episode 3, it really started going downhill and showed that Amazon only cares about the money, pandering to identity politics, and showing something visually exciting like Game of Thrones. Let me say why.

First, one reason a lot of fans are angry is Galadriel bein portrayed as a warrior who can’t get over the death of her brother at the hands of Sauron. Now, yes, her brother Finrod did die because of Sauron, although a little different than the way it was seemingly portrayed in the show. With her being a warrior, it’s not widely known that Tolkien actually once imagined her more as a great warrior leader before becoming who we see in Lord of the Rings. That idea didn’t make it a lot into his published works, so that’s why a lot of people are angry. However, I personally don’t mind that.

Another reason is Amazon’s insistence on as many races on Earth being represented in Middle-Earth. The problem with that is such a thing is mentioned in Tolkien’s works, but completely in a different way than portrayed. It’s more portrayed that the Easterlings and Haradrim are portrayed as being like modern Asians, Arabs and Africans. On top of that, Tolkien envisioned his mythology as being a mythology of Earth, particularly of Europe, and mixed races wouldn’t really have been a thing back then. At least not like it is today. Admittedly, this part doesn’t bother me too bad, except for when you portray people literally of the same family as being different races.

Also, I have a problem with how they show Elrond. I mean, how did this young guy…

who is already over at least 1,500 years old, turn into this…

by the end of the Second Age.

Also, I have a problem with the way they portray a lot of the men in this series. They seem to be portraying all of the men as stubborn, idiotic, ignorant, naive, or any similar adjectives or combination of any of these while propping up the female characters as the heroes. The exception seems to be Elendil, which does make some sense, and Arondir, but I hate that they are intentionally trying to make the males characters seem to be totally incompetent.

The biggest problem is that they have completely ignored the history of Middle Earth in every sense of the word. First off, Galadriel going to Valinor. A trip home to Valinor would not have looked like this

until after the Downfall of Numenor. During most of the Second Age, Valinor was still very much a visible part of Middle Earth. How else could the Numenoreans have even attempted an invasion if it wasnt? Also, during Numenor’s golden years, Elves from Valinor would sail to Numenor, bringing gifts. So this whole thing makes no sense.

Also, Galadriel’s character is missing something big. By the point in time this series seems to represent, Galadriel had already married Celeborn, and had likely already had their daughter, Celebrian, who actually would become Elrond’s wife and mother of Arwen. Yet they just leave that part out. I think that would be pretty major.

Now, there’s a serious problem with this series in that they have no thought for the timeline whatsoever. They portray the first return of Sauron, the turning of Numenor away from the Elves, the beginning of the forging of the Rings, and the time of Elendil all at once. That is so wrong on so many levels. After Morgoth’s downfall, Sauron hid out for several centuries, but made a return to Middle Earth in the year 500 of the Second Age, when he took up residence in Mordor. At that point, the Numenoreans had never come back to Middle Earth, and wouldn’t until 600. Galadriel and Celeborn, along with their daughter, were already living in Lothlorien by the year 1350. Sauron actually first reached out to the Elves in the year 1200, but Gil-galad (who we see as the king in the series) mistrusted him. Around 1500, the Rings begin to be forged, with the One Ring being forged in 1600, around the same time Barad-dur is completed. Even still, Sauron would not even attempt to engage in a war for almost a century afterwards, at which point Numenor is only on its 10th King. It wouldn’t be for several centuries AFTER the One Ring is forged that the Numenoreans would begin to grow hostile to the Elves. Elendil would not be born until 1,500 years AFTER the One Rings was forged. The Queen of Numenor we see in the show, Miriel, did live in Elendil’s time, yes, but she was actually friendly to the Elves, and her cousin Ar-Pharazon took her as his wife against her will to take the throne and turn Numenor fully against the Elves.

That is the proper timeline. Yet, they don’t even mention in the show how long it’s been since Morgoth was defeated, and somehow, Galadriel is still unmarried and not living in Lothlorien, and somehow Celebrimbor, Elendil, Miriel, and the darkening of Numenor are all happening at the same time, BEFORE the Rings are forged. This is such a blatant disregard for the timeline it sickens me.

Also, a minor detail. They portray Durin IV in the show, as the son as Durin III. That was not the case in the real timeline. Yes, Durin III was the King of Khazad-dum during the forging of the Rings and received a Ring from Sauron, but Durin IV did not live until almost two thousand years later, as he was king of Khazad-dum at the end of the Second Age during the War of the Last Alliance.

Now, there’s also the problem of Gandalf. While we don’t yet have confirmation that the strange old man in the show is Gandalf, there are a lot of theories he is. In Tolkien’s works, he didn’t show up in Middle Earth until the Third Age. So there’s not.

Also, there’s the thing with Sauron supposedly turning the Southlands into Mordor. That is utterly ridiculous. Mordor had existed as we see it in the films since before Sauron ever discovered it during the Second Age. In fact, some even think it may have been created by Morgoth during the First Age. Also, remember, Sauron first settled in Mordor in year 500, well before the events of the show.

So, these are all the reasons why Tolkien fans hate the show, and why the show is an utter travesty. It spits in the face of Tolkien’s mythology, and ruins just about everything about Middle Earth.

Edit to add: will people remember I'm listing not just my reasons but reasons other people have given?

Edit to add after episode 7: okay, now I've lost hope. Spoiler alert, they just depicted the Dwarves as having already woken the Balrog. This is before the rings were forged, around 1450 of the Secong Age. The Balrog wasn't woken until 1980 of the THIRD AGE! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? They're drawing events from the Third Age and depicting them in the Second Age! What is wrong with Amazon?!